In one of our earlier blogs, we discussed the many items to evaluate when choosing a background screening company. Customer service, pricing, turnaround times, professional reports, and integration with your company’s computer system are fair matters to consider. But what other questions should you consider when deciding to use a background screening company for your employment needs?
One of your primary concerns should be whether the company is qualified to handle the complex nature of this business. Accreditation through the Professional Background Screening Association (PBSA) checks that box.
The PBSA program is the recognized seal of approval in the professional background screening industry. Our involvement means we are committed to providing the highest quality of service to our clients and holds us accountable for working diligently to produce the best results possible.
As an Accredited Consumer Reporting Agency (CRA), Risk Assessment Group is dedicated to upholding and delivering the highest level of industry standards.
6 Industry Standards for Accredited Background Screening companies:
- Legal and Compliance
- This certifies that the accredited agency is compliant with all federal guidelines under the Fair Credit Reporting Act as it pertains to generation and handling of consumer reports.
- Information Security
- This ensures background screening companies such as Risk Assessment Group have policies and procedures in place to secure and protect highly sensitive information that it gathers on behalf of clients during the background screening process. It also regulates how that information is shared with clients.
- Client Education
- This area discusses the role of the background screening company as it pertains to its client relationship. It lays out guidelines on how the company will help to educate clients and what roles it can – and cannot -- perform in terms of guiding clients through the hiring process.
- Researcher and Data Standards
- This standard details how agency/client agreements must clearly define the scope of services to be provided, including jurisdictions covered, search methodology, depth of search, disclosure of findings, methodology and time frame for communication and completion of requests.
- Verification Services Standards
- This area ensures the background screening company has reasonable procedures in place to assure maximum possible accuracy when obtaining, documenting and reporting verification information for its clients.
- Business Practices
- This standard certifies that the background screening company is meeting or exceeding best practices in the industry that include (but are not limited to) hiring and background checks of its own employees, keeping up with new and changing laws and legislation, document management, certification and training, worker confidentiality and ethics reporting.
Accredited Firms Ensure Compliance
Accredited firms like Risk Assessment Group demonstrate a firm commitment to ongoing compliance by holding to the high standards of accreditation as well as undergoing rigorous audits completed by an independent third-party. In fact, Risk Assessment Group passed its most recent audit with absolutely no exceptions.
We document each of our policies and processes as required in each of the area within the standards and demonstrate visible compliance with their policies to the auditor. It is an arduous process, but one we feel is of the utmost importance in delivering the best service to our clients.
So, it’s up to you. When choosing a firm to work with to navigate the many complexities of the hiring process, please consider Accreditation among your priorities.
You can learn more about the Accreditation process at: ThePBSA.org
